


Inevitable

by LazyBaker



Category: The Boys (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M, Rival Relationship, Team Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyBaker/pseuds/LazyBaker
Summary: “He’s off the team.” Homelander tells her and himself and the whole wide world full of morons.
Relationships: The Homelander | John/Soldier Boy
Comments: 7
Kudos: 53





	Inevitable

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of Kripke interviews for s3, my own needs, and a very select sprinkling from the comics.  
>   
> Takes place post-s2.

Two in the morning, Homelander restarts the video.

 _”Gee-whiz, Miss. I’m mighty glad to help out and—and gosh darned_ honored _to even be thought of.” Soldier Boy places a hand over his heart, dips his head towards the camera. “Payback will always be my family, but I go where I’m needed most and if that means helping out The Seven, well, I’m gonna do my darnedest to be there for them in their time of need.”_

The remote explodes in Homelander’s grip.

_Need._

The video already has seven million views. It’s been eight hours since it was posted. By sunrise, it will have doubled.

“Ashley.” He barks out.

Behind him, the small woman shuffles around and hands him another remote.

He hits _replay_.

—

The conference room smells like Italian brewed coffee and sweet pastries Ashley insists on. Soldier Boy works his way around the table. Introduces himself to the lecherous women first. Flashes the charming, patented _Soldier Boy_ grin. Starlight tells him _I’ve been a huge fan since—_ and giggles. Homelander rolls his eyes. A-Train falls for it just as hard as Maeve and Starlight, laughing at some _idiotic_ joke.

Noir hugs Soldier Boy for three seconds longer than anyone else. Has a kick in his pulse.

Heartbreaking.

Homelander keeps his back to the embarrassing scene, uninterested in the pleasantries his teammates— _underlings_ —are exhibiting. Disgusting overly familiar displays of affection for some _random_ supe.

Soldier Boy turns to him after Noir and Homelander waits three footsteps before turning around and looking _up._

He has to look _up_ at Soldier Boy to meet his eyes.

Taller. Broader. A chiseled jawline that has Homelander clenching his teeth together behind his own smile. Clean-cut and inarguably handsome.

Soldier Boy offers his hand and Homelander takes it. Grins. Respectable. A natural born hero. The apex predator in a world full of boring prey. The leader of a team of supes who aren’t insubordinate or half-full of disappointments. He grips just on the edge of _too much_ for other, lesser supes and is disappointed to see the lack of a flinch and listens to a steady, strong heartbeat.

Homelander imagines ripping Soldier Boy’s arm out of its socket, the lovely sound of his tissue being torn and then shoving that hand down Soldier Boy’s cocksucker lips and making him choke.

“Pleasure to have you on board, Soldier Boy.” Homelander says.

Soldier Boy claps him on the arm, just on the edge of _too much_ for an underling and says, “God bless, captain.”

—

“I want him off The Seven.” Homelander demands. A reasonable request. _He_ chooses who is and isn’t on the team. His eyes heat up, a polite lead-in towards a future threat.

Stan Edgar’s office stinks just like him. Expensive cologne and money. He nods _incredibly_ slowly, testing Homelander’s patience. This is why he hates talking to _people_.

They’re so _slow_.

“And I would like my employees to _not_ have publicized their intimate relations with a nazi leaving us _very_ little room for plausible deniability.” Edgar spreads his hands. “Your reputation’s been tarnished, Homelander. It needs a bit of polishing up to regain the world’s trust and that’s what Soldier Boy is for.” Edgar adjusts his glasses. “He’s America’s sweetheart. The perfect candied apple to sweeten the public’s eye towards you.”

“You’re in the dog house and you’re just going to have to _deal_.” He picks up his phone and gestures to the balcony then the door. “I have another meeting, if you would?”

—

Homelander flies up until the oxygen is running thin and burns one of Vought’s satellites into molten shrapnel to float in space.

—

There’s a fire in the Bronx. A school’s gone up in flames and the intel says there’s a single class of twenty-five twelve year olds trapped inside. The exits are blocked by collapsing wreckage from the upper floors. The firefighters are unable to get to them. The smoke will kill them soon.

No supe is the cause.

No one to fight.

A simple rescue mission.

It’s a slam dunk.

Ashley says, _there’s literally no downside to you sweeping in._

Homelander makes it to the school in less than a minute. His cape catches fire. He lifts a burning beam and his gloves get singed. He’ll need to have a stern talking to to the tech department after this. Homelander isn’t meant to _burn_.

Through the flames and the wreck of the classrooms, Homelander discovers the students are no longer in the classroom. The rescue mission he’s been promised disappears within a second. He scans the school quickly and finds the crowd outside cheering.

Soldier Boy has _saved the day_. Covered in soot, he’s in just a pair of jeans and a ripped t-shirt. He'd been out taking in the sights of the new city he's calling _home_. A boy the same age as Ryan hugs him and cries into his neck. He lets a little girl hold his sunglasses. The firemen are applauding him.

The crowd’s _swooning_. Cheering for the hero who wasn’t even assigned to the mission.

“Homelander!” Soldier Boy calls him over and it’s too late to disappear without being noticed. It would look _odd_ for him to fly off now. He can’t escape the fifty cameras and the hundreds of people turning his way, expecting him to congratulate his teammate, applaud him for succeeding where he— _The Homelander_ , the Perfect and Better Man—was too slow to react.

Homelander puts his hand on Soldier Boy’s shoulder and squeezes, hopes to feel the snap of his collar bone and it’s a day for disappointments.

Soldier Boy winds his arm around Homelander’s back and pinches his side. Homelander glances over to him and sees only that dumb grin.

“Let’s hear it for Soldier Boy. A job well done!” Homelander forces himself to say, throwing his hands up and clapping, starting another round of cheering and love and praise that should have been _his_.

Soldier Boy demurs.

“What can I say,” Soldier Boy tells one of the dozens of microphones an inch from his face, “When I hear trouble I come runnin’. Thank goodness I had my trusty Nikes on.”

Homelander flies back to Vought before he has to say another damn word.

—

“ _He stole my mission._ ”

Edgar sets his book down on his nightstand. Folds his glasses and holds them in his lap.

“And you’re embarrassed.”

“I’m _infuriated._ That was _mine_.”

“And you want me to fire the man who saved babies?” Edgar says. Sighs. Homelander’s eye twitches. “The Seven’s optics are improving and I highly doubt your numbers will continue to do so if we transfer the man who saved _impoverished children_ , many of whom are from families on welfare, from a burning building during his off hours. Nor will they improve if he were to, say, suddenly disappear.”

Edgar puts his glasses back on. He slides lower into his bed, resting his head on his pillow, and opens his book, sparing Homelander only a slight, bored glance.

“I suggests you find some common ground with your teammate. _Goodnight._ ”

—

“We’re pals. The best of friends. Honestly—I don’t think I’ve ever clicked with a group of such fine individuals so fast.” Soldier Boy says to Savannah Guthrie on the third interview with the _Today_ show _this month_. “Annie— _Starlight_ —she’s like my younger sister. I love that little lady to bits.”

“Every one of your shared TikToks have gone viral.”

“That’s all Miss Annie.”

“You are _so_ adorable.”

He laughs. “I get that all the time.”

“Now, not to bring down the mood, but it would be remiss of us if we didn’t address the elephant in the room, the big question on every American’s mind—how is Homelander doing? The fall out with Stormfront was quite— _public_.”

Soldier Boy’s smile and his _awful_ dimples never falter. Not even a _twitch._

Homelander presses his nose to the screen and can’t see one damn misstep.

“Johnny— _Homelander_ —is a real champ. He’s the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, that kind of person, no matter how strong they are, attracts a—a _certain type of folk_.”

“Are you suggesting Homelander is _naive?_ ”

“Nah, not naive.” Soldier Boy says. “More _soft_. When a man like Homelander, who doesn’t have a ton of _experience_ , well, he might find himself giving himself to the wrong person without any ill will on his part. Just, y’know, a hope to be loved, somethin’ I think we can all relate to.”

Guthrie dabs a tissue to the corner of her eyes. She starts clapping and soon everyone in the studio joins her to applaud him.

“Wise, wise words from such a handsome and heroic man. Thank you, Soldier Boy. For your service and the conversation.”

Soldier Boy places his hand on her knee. “You’re too kind, darlin’.”

Homelander punches the screen.

 _Johnny_.

Really.

Maeve spins in her chair to laugh in Homelander’s face. “I think he just called you a pussy and said you lost your cherry to a nazi.”

"We _dated_."

"But I'm a _gay_."

“He’s off the team.” Homelander tells her and himself and the whole wide world full of morons.

Maeve snorts.

“You wish.” She says. “Vought would castrate you first.”

—

Homelander has been cooped up at HQ for days now. No new missions requiring _his_ level of expertise. Public appearances have slowed. _A cool down period, you know, just to give the public some time to heal_ , Ashley explains, pulse jackhammering so loud Homelander could hardly hear himself be annoyed with her.

The real reason’s obvious. They’re twitchy he’ll snap. Say something wrong. Make the situation worse and besmirch The Seven’s reputation, as though The Seven is _anything_ without him.

They think he’s weak.

Homelander wanders HQ. Sees his teammates collected in the gym two floors down and decides to join them. It’s not often they’re all the in the same room outside of the morning briefs.

Maeve and Soldier Boy are sparring. Starlight, Noir, and A-Train are off to the side, watching, hollering, spurring the two of them on and as Homelander steps inside, they quiet. The only sound then is Maeve hitting the mat and then laughing as Soldier Boy helps her up.

“So this is where we all are.” Homelander says.

Maeve flips him off and goes to grab her water bottle from Starlight. Soldier Boy, though, turns _that grin_ to Homelander.

“You up for a round?”

“I don’t spar.”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

Homelander purses his lips. “I highly doubt it.”

“I thought I was supposed to be the old timer.” Soldier Boy crosses his arms. Sidles up to Homelander. Sweat darkens his hair. His face is flushed, his lips nearly blood red. “So you don’t spar. You work out?”

“No.”

“You don’t spar _and_ you don’t work out?”

“I’m perfect.”

Homelander doesn’t lift weights. Doesn’t lift a finger if he doesn’t have to. He’s the most powerful man in the world. God’s gift to mankind.

He’s _naturally_ perfect.

“Now that ain’t very sportsman like.”

“I’ll win.” And he will.

Soldier Boy hums. He takes a long pull of Gatorade and tosses the bottle then tugs up his shirt and tosses that too.

“You sure about that?” Soldier Boy steps up to him, green eyes sparkling with something Homelander immediately despises. “I mean, are you _sure_ or are you just pussy-footin’ around and hopin’ no one notices?”

Homelander’s entire body tenses. He smiles. It will never reach his eyes. “I’m sure.”

“Well, color me disappointed. Was really hopin’ to get a good work out today.”

Soldier boy steps away, nodding, still has that dumb, ignorant, idiotic grin. He looks to Maeve who _smiles_ at Soldier Boy, nervous. He’s the only one in the room who has no idea.

“Actually,” Homelander says, stepping into the center of the gym. “You know what, I’d _love_ to.”

“Now _that_ is just what I was hopin’ to hear.” Soldier Boy says and punches Homelander in the face, the force of it knocking Homelander off balance, forcing him to either take a step back or float. Neither of those options make him happy.

A curious sting erupts on his lip. He touches it and there’s blood on his the fingers of his glove.

“Holy crap.” Starlight gasps.

“Fuck me.” A-train says, drawing it out.

Noir holds his hands over his masked mouth.

Homelander doesn’t look at Maeve, knows she’s smirking, satisfied, happy to see him _bleed_ in a way she never could manage. He stares at Soldier Boy. Cocky. Brass. A lesser, nothing supe with a title that isn’t his.

Homelander’s going to kill him. Rip him to pieces and barbecue the leftover meat. Burn him to ash and then burn him into nothing. Soldier Boy will never have existed once Homelander is through with him.

Ashely will be able to spin a story and his team will know who’s in charge, incriminating video be damned.

Homelander backhands Soldier Boy and he _laughs_ , grabs Homelander and swings himself around, lands dozens of punches in quick succession to his face and chest.

Homelander hasn’t had to _try_ this hard in a fight since— _ever_. He’s always been at the top. His stare could stop any villain alone. Soldier Boy takes every hit like _Starlight_ is the one _trying_ to put him down and Homelander _is_ trying. He’s putting in _real_ effort and Soldier Boy is meeting him every hit with one of his own.

He surges upwards, gets Soldier Boy off the ground and into the air, slams his knee into Soldier Boy’s stomach, but he refuses to let Homelander take the upper hand. A specialist in hand-to-hand combat, he lets loose and his hits fly, outmaneuvering Homelander and forcing him to resort to _blocking_ , Soldier Boy using Homelander’s own body to power his hits while they fly upwards.

“Here’s a tip, _John—_ ” Soldier Boy says mid-air, Homelander’s tight hold on his jaw not enough to break him or keep him from talking, “Never fuck a nazi. Even one with a tight cunt and nice tits—that shit’s like herpes. Ain’t never gettin’ rid of it.”

“Shut the fuck up, christ.” Homelander spits out, trying to gouge out his eyes.

They hit the ceiling in a rush and Soldier Boy kicks off, uses Homelander’s momentum against him and rockets the both of them downwards, his legs a vice around Homelander’s hips and he feels Soldier Boy’s erection against him.

They hit the floor, cracking it open in an explosion. _BANG BANG BANG_ they fly through three stories in HQ and land in the gift shop on the ground level, the tiles cracked around them, shelves blown back, children are crying, security is being radioed in.

Homelander isn’t done yet. He grabs Soldier Boy by his face, his fingers digging into his skull and _squeezes_ until his tendons strain and his knuckles crack. Soldier Boy shoves him back, fast and a coward, he uses Homelander’s cape as a red-herring to knock him back onto the ground, grips Homelander by his neck and pushes hard to keep Homelander still.

Homelander’s eyes start to burn, his vision going red.

“Holy shit, it’s Soldier Boy! And Homelander!” Some moron in the crowd gathering around them says and suddenly the terror they thought was here turns into glee at seeing two heroes of The Seven.

Homelander has never felt this surge of _anger_ in his life. Rage. Ancient. Volcanic. He can barely move. It fills him like thunder, hot and white and ticking towards explosive.

Soldier Boy laughs, cracks the silence like a lightning bolt inside that makes Homelander nostalgic for a German stump. Lets go of Homelander’s neck, hands landing on the side of his head, dipping down to talk low in his ear.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, Johnny-boy.”

Very presumptuous.

“Then you’re not going to live through this.” Homelander whispers into his ear, sneaks a hand between them to rub at the front of Soldier Boy’s pants, letting him know exactly where the two of them stand. The end of a career is coming. And it's not going to be Homelander's.

Soldier Boy jumps to his feet, says _aw shucks_ to the crowd, and holds his hand out for Homelander.

He takes Soldier Boy’s hand and lets himself be pulled up, the humble and gracious super man he is.

Soldier Boy waves to the crowd. “A bit of rough housing between the boys.” He pulls Homelander into a half-hug, his chest sweaty. The scent of him overwhelming. He kisses the side of Homelander's face. Pats the dust off his torn suit. “I love this guy. Packs one heck of a punch!”

—

Homelander flies to Dubai.

He stands on the top of the Burj Khalifa and fails to jerk off.

He kills a homeless man in Russia.

Punches a hole through a blue whale in the Pacific Ocean.

Burns a forest down in California.

Returns to his apartment to sit on his bed and stare at the bruises Soldier Boy dared to leave on his body, stuck on the image of that mouth swollen and bleeding, having the nerve to call him _Johnny_ to his face.

—

Homelander knocks _again_ on the door.

“He destroyed half the building.” Homelander reminds Edgar. _Again_. “He could’ve killed someone.”

“No one was hurt and he created a spontaneous meet and greet with the fans that went viral on twitter. The damage to the tower is inconsequential.” Edgar says. Homelander hears him turning the page of his newspaper. “At some point you’re just going to have to accept his integration into the team.” Another page. “If you’ll excuse me, this is the only private time I have between meetings today and I already have enough of my own shit to deal with.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just the prospect of Antony Starr and Jensen Ackles being on screen together and sharing tension made this happen. I’d apologize, but I wouldn’t mean it.  
>   
> For anyone reading this in the future, this was written months before season 3 even started filming. Forgive any possible blatant OOC-ness.  
>   
> I may (???) write a second chapter.  
>   
> [tumblr](http://granpappy-winchester.tumblr.com)


End file.
